Gaming Engineer: Salary and Career Information

Learn about the education and preparation needed to become a gaming engineer. Get a quick view of the requirements as well as details about degree programs, job duties and salary expectations to find out if this is the career for you.

An important part of a team of design and development professionals, gaming engineers are involved in the creation of new video games. The salary of a gaming engineer can vary greatly depending on the employer and job location. A bachelor's degree in a relevant field, such as computer science, is required for this career.

Essential Information

Gaming engineers work with teams of programmers, illustrators and testers to design, develop and create new video games. They may be involved with all phases of game development, from devising the initial concept to testing the product before release. To become a gaming engineer, a minimum of a bachelor's degree in computer science is required, and some employers prefer applicants with master's degrees.

Required Education

Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field

Projected Job Growth (2014-2024)

17% for all software developers*

Median Salary

$64,453 (2016)**

Sources: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), **PayScale.com.

Salary Info for Gaming Engineers

Factors like the type of employer, geographic location and current economic conditions affect the salaries earned by gaming engineers. In January 2016, PayScale.com reported that the annual salary of most gaming software engineers ranged from about $39,732 to $90,604.

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Gaming Engineer Career Info

Job Description

Gaming engineers are specialized software engineers who design and program video games. Gaming engineers work with teams of developers on the entire process of creating a video game.

Beginning with the concept development and initial prototype development, an engineer will provide knowledge of programming and the realities of game design. Engineers are responsible for creating coding sequences to create game play, and may need to create multiple codes for different gaming devices.

Engineers must also help with the troubleshooting of the finished product. Running tests and reviewing codes will show an engineer what needs to be redone or changed.

Requirements

Gaming engineers are required to have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a related field. A degree program in computer science will provide a potential engineer with an in-depth knowledge of the many languages used in computer programming, as well as data modeling, problem solving and computational mathematics.

In addition to a minimum of a bachelor's degree, potential gaming engineers must possess excellent communication, problem-solving, analytical and technological abilities. Being able to work cooperatively and successfully with a team is also a critical skill for an engineer to have.

Job Outlook

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts employment growth of 17% for software developers from 2014 to 2024, which is considerably faster than the average reported rate for all professions. The ever-evolving sophistication of video games will continue to create many job opportunities for highly skilled engineers, though competition may be stiff due to the high level of interest in the field.

Although the BLS reports that the decade from 2014-2024 will see faster than average job growth for software developers, individuals considering a career as a gaming engineer should also take into account the competitive nature of the game development industry. Successful gaming engineers must possess a thorough knowledge of multiple programming languages, as well as a solid understanding of computational mathematics and data modeling.